A discussion starter – an open thread February 28, 2009
Posted by patlynch in Amtrak, Passenger Rail Politics, Passenger Rail Transportatio Policy, United States High Speed Rail.6 comments
This came from Evan Stair, Vice-President of the Oklahoma Northern Flyer Alliance, concerning some commentary from United Passenger Rail Alliance (included among our links).
Evan makes some interesting points and I will probably add a few of my own soon. Your reactions are invited in the “comments” section.
THIS WEEK AT AMTRAK REBUTTAL
Rather than talk about “Amtrak’s wholly owned lapdog organizations” UPRA should work to prove them wrong. UPRA should do a better job promoting UPRA’s agenda; whatever that might be. What is UPRA doing to promote its agenda? What policy leaders are they engaging?I am neither a defender of NARP or a basher. NARP simply exists. I have seen evidence where they do damage on regional levels. I have seen instances where they have done some real good. I do not believe they are overall damaging the passenger rail cause. Their effectiveness in many arenas should be questioned. However, dumping the outdated regional concept is a step in the right direction. I do however believe that their work in Washington D.C. is important. It is up to their affiliated “field organizations” to make a difference.
POLITICAL REALITIES AND BUSINESS CASES
Political realities can change. However, they change slowly and require hard work in communities/legislative bodies/and in public education, not just weekly updates bashing Amtrak and NARP. Amtrak is a political and fiscal reality. No entity will change that overnight. Demanding that it be profitable in this era of debt is unreasonable. The business case
should be one to first retire the debt before talking about profitability. I for one still believe that Amtrak can become dramatically more efficient and customer friendly. However, I also am not sold on the concept of passenger rail profitability, despite Mr. Richardson’s weekly suggestion that this might be possible in the United States.TRE/DART EXAMPLE OF EFFICIENCY
If Mr. Richardson wants to review real efficiency on a US level he need look no further than Trinity Rail Express between Fort Worth and Dallas. By invitation, Northern Flyer Alliance dignitaries from the Oklahoma legislature, Del City, Oklahoma County, and Edmond visited TRE in Dallas Union Station yesterday for a presentation showing what efficiency can do.-TRE dispatchers are world class, based out of South Irving. They operate 55 passenger trains and over 20 freight movements daily on a mixture of single and double track segments between the Metroplex’s two largest communities. (Let’s see if any US Class I railroad can accomplish such incredible feats of dispatching)
-TRE is building and rebuilding what will one day be a double track railroad out of the bankrupt Rock Island route between Fort Worth and Dallas.
-TRE transports nearly 3 million people a year.
-TRE holds mineral rights over a narrow width 34 mile rail corridor that brings in additional cash. However, with all of this efficiency, with all of these additional side benefits, they are still “not profitable.”
-TRE receives trackage rights payments from a shortline operator and the BNSF.
-TRE may soon begin providing dispatching for the New Mexico Rail Runner Express.
Maybe Mr. Richardson could bash TRE while he is bashing Amtrak and NARP?
AMTRAK INSTITUTIONAL PROBLEMS
Amtrak has inherent institutional problems; but here again, they are the only provider of interstate passenger rail service in the nation. NOTE: I did not say “intercity” because this can mean either (or both) interstate or intrastate. If UPRA believes that there is a business case for
profitability, UPRA and its membership should shore up investors and become an operator. In other words, don’t complain about Amtrak’s problems, do something about them. Maybe UPRA should become affiliated with the Heritage Foundation under the fiscal responsibility arena? They would find a friend in Ernest Istook.STIMULUS BILLS AND OTHER AMTRAK FUNDING
I would say that getting Amtrak out of debt should have been a major portion of the stimulus bill. The recent string of CEO’s had nothing to do with Amtrak’s string of debt. Since this is a national epidemic, maybe it is time to retire a nation’s debt through a 12 step program. Want to save money on Amtrak? Shut the ENTIRE system down. However, I don’t think we
should be kicking people out of their homes, nor should we be shutting down the largest interstate passenger rail company in the nation.INTERCITY VERSUS INTERSTATE VERSUS INTRASTATE: THE CORRIDOR MENTALITY
There is a real story in the comparison “intercity” versus “interstate” versus “intrastate” that is rarely told by persons promoting passenger rail. The misused term intercity allows congressmen and US Senators to call Amtrak a state funding responsibility. This is damaging because it forces state compacts over routes that are more efficiently proposed and managed by Amtrak. Amtrak in many cases knows what should be; however, due to their quasi-public charter, they are unable to lobby for what is best for their customers or their company.THE FLYER CORRIDOR
Of course the Flyer Corridor (Kansas City – Wichita – Oklahoma City – Fort Worth) is one of these unfortunate examples. If one includes Kansas City, MO an expanded Heartland Flyer would touch four states. Get even two states to agree on anything and you have accomplished a monumental feat. The result of this political reality has been a 10 year Oklahoma City stub end
because the state of Kansas has been unwilling to join the three state compact. Kansas is now showing signs of interest, but this interest may be simply to put the issue of passenger rail to bed permanently. Long term I do not believe this will be the case for Kansas. Kansas is as subject to fiscal/political pressure as any state. Short term; however, The Northern
Flyer Alliance is waiting with baited breath for Kansas legislators to set policy encouraging KDOT and finally funding the Heartland Flyer expansion for KDOT to Kansas City.Evan Stair
Vice President – Oklahoma
Northern Flyer Alliance
www.northflyer.org
EvanStair@Passeng
If my memory is any good, Amtrak legally posses an exclusive legal right to operate inter-city passenger trains. I will gladly accept correction if I am mistaken about this. The point is that specific legislation would be to allow “competition” or a secondary service. I suspect this aspect is loaded with legal technicalities and that the operator of a true European-style HSR would not be on the same legal classification as Amtrak.
All of this talk about “profitability” seems to avoid a number of particular issues. Operators of passenger trains on the host lines are running on tax paying entities. Airports and highways exist under an entirely different set of governmental expectations and favored treatment. This is not said to cause an all out shooting war, merely to observe the “real world” situation.
Amtrak is a political creature. It relies on government for operating capitol. Amtrak faces a number of unfavorable operating conditions which make the probably of private investment under the existing arrangement, at least, unlikely.
- Amtrak is unable to reach essential markets and provide service on essential corridors because of objections from operating railroads and the unavailability of equipment.
- Due to the inadequacy of rail infrastructure, Amtrak has little control over its own operating schedules.
- A lack of investment has caused the deterioration of existing equipment.
- Insufficient head end power.
- Corporate management spends an inordinate amount of time defending the company’s very existence and appears to be prohibited from lobbying for essential regional modifications (something Evan references).
- The general political atmosphere of nit-picking (dining cars, etc.) leads to a demoralization of executives and employees. This passes through to the passenger level.
Bruce Richardson seems to be saying that Amtrak can do better. I agree.
The sad truth is that Amtrak is a convenient whipping boy in the political world where cute 20 second sound bites trump sound policy discussions. It sometimes appears that some of the supposedly “friendly” commentary on Amtrak does little more than serve the ends of various obstructionists. We should move on from that.
I hesitate to critique NARP. I am simply not close enough to the operation, but I will say that they do a reasonably good job for national lobbying. One unfortunate reality of rail advocacy is competing regional interests. For example, if Idaho gets its train back the Sunset probably is not extended beyone New Orleans. Yet, both projects are clearly part of the basic system and should never be set up against each other.
Common sense always leads us back to the sensible proposals of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association. They propose a network of good fast conventional trains connecting convenient locations. Waht they are proposing makes sense and augments the national Amtrak system. Until there are regional systems providing internmediate length services, the long distance trains will suffer. We are talking about a national policy and a system that encourages regionalism.
TRE is a poor comparison to Amtrak. It is a commuter line running trains on its own trackage with its own dispatchers.
Evan makes an excellent point about the need for some Amtrak imput on the interstate rivalries which arise in even simple proposals like the Kansas City to Fort Worth corridor.
Amtrak debt is the gorilla in the parlor. Is that what caused Kummant’s swift and sudden departure? We have also gotten hints of activism from the Amtrak board which may not be typical for a large corporation. These are real concerns.
The National Rail Passenger Corporation provides an essential service and deserves a reliable source of revenue in order to make realistic plans for sensible expansion and improved business operations.
Louisiana to seek New Orleans-Baton Rouge passenger rail line from federal stimulus pot that Jindal called wasteful February 27, 2009
Posted by patlynch in Amtrak, Passenger Rail Transportatio Policy, Regional USA Passenger Rail, United States High Speed Rail.2 comments
My, my, my. Here is the latest transportation development from the New Orleans Times-Picayune. (The comments are pretty entertaining as well)
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana’s transportation department plans to request federal dollars for a New Orleans to Baton Rouge passenger rail service from the same pot of railroad money in the president’s economic stimulus package that Gov. Bobby Jindal criticized as unnecessary pork on national television Tuesday night.
The high-speed rail line, a topic of discussion for years, would require $110 million to upgrade existing freight lines and terminals to handle a passenger train operation, said Mark Lambert, spokesman for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.
Now, some analysis.
It’s a good idea for several reasons.
- The Gulf coast is still rebuilding after Katrina and Rita.
- Baton Rouge is close to New Orleans. Travel time of about one hour.
- Provides for low cost housing to be built along the route. That would repoace stock lost in the Ninth Ward. (The entertainment industry in N. O. depends on folks who live in cheap housing).
- Of course it creates more upscale development opportunities.
- Rail lines already exist. No land cost and reduced environmental concerns.
- That one hour with CONVENTIONAL equipment. No European style HSR expense.
- Could be the first stage of an upgraded rail route to Houston. Again, the lines already exist. Might also be extended to Mobile. Alabama and Mississippi already have a legal entity for such projects. There is also an expansion possibility towards DFW.
Shame on Sean Hannity and FOX News February 26, 2009
Posted by patlynch in Passenger Rail Politics, Passenger Rail Transportatio Policy, United States High Speed Rail.4 comments
On second thought, one would need a functioning moral conscience and a sense of social obligation. Apparently, FOX and Hannity have neither. The following item comes from Media Matters and sets the record straight on a serious misstatement (lie) concerning the stimulus package and transportation.
Summary: On Fox News, Sean Hannity repeated the false GOP talking points that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act directs that funds be spent to protect the salt marsh harvest mouse in San Francisco and on a high-speed rail line between Southern California and Las Vegas. In fact, as Rep. Joe Sestak noted in response to Hannity, the bill does not contain any language directing funds to the salt marsh harvest mouse or its San Francisco wetlands habitat, nor does the bill include a provision directing that funds be spent on a high-speed rail line between Southern California and Las Vegas.
During the February 24 broadcast of his Fox News program, host Sean Hannity repeated the false Republican talking points that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 directs that funds be spent to protect the salt marsh harvest mouse in San Francisco and on a high-speed rail line between Southern California and Las Vegas. In response to Hannity’s false claims, Hannity’s guest, Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) noted, “Sean, that — those words are absolutely not in the bill, and you know it. You may be reading them off the Internet, but those words are not in the bill.”
After Sestak challenged Hannity to “try to name” an earmark in the bill, Hannity responded: “The salt harvest marsh mouse that gets $30 million. The railway from Los Angeles to Las Vegas: that is a pork project.” In fact, as Media Matters for America has noted, the bill does not contain any language directing funds to the salt marsh harvest mouse or its San Francisco wetlands habitat, a fact that the House Republican leadership aide who reportedly originated the claim has reportedly acknowledged. Nor does the bill include, as Media Matters has noted, a provision directing that $8 billion in funds be spent on a high-speed rail line between Southern California and Las Vegas.
After writing that “there isn’t any such money in the bill” for the mouse, The Plum Line blogger Greg Sargent reported on February 12 that the “marsh harvest mouse” claim originated in an email from a “House Republican leadership staffer” who, when contacted by Sargent, “conceded that the claim by conservative media that the mouse money is currently in the bill is a misstatement.” San Jose Mercury News staff writer Paul Rogers subsequently reported on February 13 that Michael Steel, a spokesman for House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), originated the claim and said that “[t]here is no language in the bill that says this money will go to this project.”
Moreover, Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace has said that the claim that the bill had funding to protect the mouse has been “supposedly … debunked.”
As Media Matters has noted, the mouse falsehood has been repeated several times on Fox News, including on Hannity. Furthermore, other media outlets such as The New York Times, Fox Business Network, The Washington Times, and CNN have advanced the same falsehood.
Furthermore, contrary to Hannity’s false claim — which has been pushed by House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) — that the economic recovery bill directs that funds be spent on a high-speed rail line between Southern California and Las Vegas, the bill does not direct high-speed rail funds to any specific high-speed rail project. Furthermore, any funding would be allocated by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a former Republican congressman.
The bill states that $8 billion shall remain available for the “Secretary of Transportation” for “projects that support the development of intercity high speed rail service” and that the secretary shall “submit to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations a strategic plan that describes how the Secretary will use the funding provided under this heading to improve and deploy high speed passenger rail systems.” The Joint Explanatory Statement of the Conference Report on H.R. 1 further states of the high-speed rail program: “The conferees have provided the Secretary flexibility in allocating resources between the programs to advance the goal of deploying intercity high speed rail systems in the United States.”
From the February 24 edition of Fox News’ Hannity:
HANNITY: And that was President Obama, delivering his remarks to a joint session of Congress just a bit ago. And joining us now to give us his thoughts on the president’s speech is Democratic Congressman Joe Sestak [PA] is with us.
You know, Congressman Sestak, I’m getting a little frustrated. He said in last week’s $1 trillion-plus with interest, you know, massive spending bill — he said there were no pet projects in it. We all know that’s not true.
I have a list of the $410 billion omnibus spending bill. I have a list — I’ll start reading them to you, if you like — of nothing but part of the 9,000 earmarks. How can you say with a straight face that this is not irresponsible spending when it’s full of earmarks? Last week’s bill; this week’s bill being debated. Explain that to me. You’re a Democrat. Help me out.
SESTAK: Absolutely. Sean, first off, you try to name me one — one in the recovery bill of an earmark. Now, with a –
HANNITY: Got it.
SESTAK: — 9,000 earmarks in this omnibus –
HANNITY: I got it.
SESTAK: — bill — just one moment.
HANNITY: Answer.
SESTAK: There were — OK. If –
HANNITY: One.
SESTAK: — you could, just answer this: Is — there’s 9,000 –
HANNITY: The salt harvest marsh mouse that gets $30 million. The railway from Los Angeles to Las Vegas: that is a pork project. That is reckless spending.
SESTAK: Sean, that — those words are absolutely not in the bill, and you know it.
HANNITY: What –
SESTAK: You may be reading them off –
HANNITY: — the stimulus –
SESTAK: — the Internet, but those words are not in the bill.
HANNITY: Yeah, of course, because you hide it. But we know where the money’s going. It’s just like, for example, all-terrain –
SESTAK: Now, Sean, those words –
HANNITY: I’ll give you another one.
SESTAK: Sean, if I could.
HANNITY: All-terrain vehicles –
SESTAK: Now, wait a minute, Sean, you’re reading off an Internet type of thing.
HANNITY: I’m actually reading the bill.
SESTAK: You’ve got to read the actual bill, and I’ve read every word.
HANNITY: You know –
SESTAK: Now let’s talk about the 9,000 earmarks.
HANNITY: Wait a minute. Wait a minute. You know and I know that Nancy Pelosi’s district, that these marshlands to help save the mouse, that’s where that money’s going. This railway for Harry Reid, these all-terrain vehicle trails, they’re in the bill, Congressman. We’re spending $1.3 trillion of our kids’ money. Why?
SESTAK: Sean, I just don’t want to mislead the public. Those words are not in the bill. Number two: We’re –
HANNITY: But the money is earmarked for it.
SESTAK: No, there are not, Sean. Number two –
HANNITY: You sound like Bill Clinton.
SESTAK: No, I’m just telling you what the facts are, ’cause I’ve read every word of the bill.
HANNITY: “I did not have sex with that woman.” They — that is where the money is going, Congressman. Be straight with the American people.
Why Virgin Trains shouldn’t be eyeing our rails just yet (even though they are) February 25, 2009
Posted by Logan Nash in International High Speed Rail, Passenger Rail Politics, United States High Speed Rail.6 comments
Many of you probably already know that ever since 1997, the trains in the UK have been franchised out to private companies. I’ve taken them a number of times since I’ve been over here, and it’s an interesting system to see and to travel with. Stations, service, and signage are no longer standard, and while that’s an annoyance that’s certainly possible to put up with, privatization in the UK hasn’t really delivered the results. Conservatives should take note that the scheme does not mean that the operating companies are not publicly supported. The government pays them a certain amount to run the lines. The fixed infrastructure also continues to be owned by Network Rail, a government-owned company. But most worryingly, Britain has some of the highest fares in the world, as the BBC and other UK news outlets were lamenting recently.
If this sounds like the sort of transportation future you want here in the United States, take heart! Virgin Trains, the private operating company that manages Britain’s Great Western Main Line, is one of the companies planning to submit HSR corridor development bids, as requested by last year’s Amtrak legislation. Critically, these proposals are just that, non-binding proposals. They’re supposed to illustrate what could be done with private rail investment, but ultimately the DOT-solicited bids mean nothing unless Congress decides to act again.
Apparently no one told this to Virgin and The Times. Check out the tone of this article:
Virgin and other high-speed operators, such as SNCF, of France, are expected to work with the US Department of Transportation to develop its rail plans and then bid to operate individual services.
Virgin is keen on the Los Angeles to San Francisco route and also the East Coast line linking Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington. There are 30 return airline flights a day between Los Angeles and San Francisco and a high-speed train service could replace many of those, cutting carbon emissions. The journey would take less than three hours and voters in California have already agreed to raise $10 billion to start work on a line that would run from Sacramento, the state capital, to San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.
Expected? By who? Nowhere does this article mention that such public-private arrangements are only being conducted with theoretical trains running on imaginary high-speed corridors. It also suggests that Virgin has met with the administration regarding high-speed trains. More details would be necessary to decipher what that means, although it might point to an interest in privatization on the part of the Obama team. Not exactly an impressive journalistic performance for the News Corp-owned Times, which seems to be rapidly losing ground to The Guardian as the paper of good repute here.
The private option is certainly one way to go, but how much of a difference does it make whether we’re starving one company or ten? Let’s try and actually get our rail network up to international standards first and see how that goes. Conservatives seem to view privatization as some sort of golden free market bullet that will end rail subsidies, but that’s just not the way it would work in reality. You can either pay for a train system or you can not have one.
Image credit: Trains for America. And that’s an Arriva Wales train, not a Virgin one, but oh well. The principle is the same.
More HSR money on the way? February 24, 2009
Posted by Logan Nash in Passenger Rail Politics, United States High Speed Rail.6 comments
The National Journal (by way of the CAHSR blog) has word from Secretary LaHood that HSR funding won’t be stopping with just the $8 billion stimulus money. He also stated that the DoT intends to focus on getting projects not just started, but finished in “at least” five parts of the country.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today emphasized the administration’s long-term commitment to expanding high-speed rail service in “five or six regions” of the country, not just with the $8 billion provided in the economic stimulus package President Obama signed into law last week, but also “in subsequent years a very substantial effort.” Meeting with reporters earlier today, LaHood said that for Obama building high-speed rail networks is, “if not his No. 1 priority, certainly at the top of his list. What the president is saying with the $8 billion is this is the start to help begin high-speed rail projects.” He added that the administration “is committed to finding the dollars to not only get them started but to finishing them in at least five parts of the country,” although he declined to elaborate on where these projects might ultimately be built.
It’s good to see that LaHood knows that if you chase two (or eleven) rabbits, you will catch neither. Even finishing five or six American high-speed rail projects is extremely ambitious, and it’s a good indication that we’ll be seeing some more Administration support for fast trains in the future.
NPR ran a story about high-speed rail this morning. It’s well worth a listen, but they also hint at where at least a little more HSR funding might be coming from:
But there may be more good news for fast-train backers: Obama is expected to seek an additional $1 billion for high-speed rail in his outline for the 2010 budget later this week.
That’s not a lot, but it would strengthen the idea of high-speed rail as something we should be funding on a regular basis. Hopefully this will be in addition to John Kerry’s upcoming high-speed rail legislation and priority changes in the 2009 transportation spending bill.
Lighter side: the express train to SIN February 24, 2009
Posted by Logan Nash in Passenger Rail Politics, United States High Speed Rail.1 comment so far
File this one under a bit of a laugh. Small potatoes California US Rep. Mary Bono Mack was alarmed at how $8 billion in high-speed rail could actually hurt California’s economy and speed vacationers on their way to debauchery. From the Riverside Press-Enterprise:
WASHINGTON – A last-minute provision added to President Barack Obama’s $787 billion stimulus plan could literally steer revenue away from Inland Southern California — and directly to Sin City, Rep. Mary Bono Mack said.
…
But Bono Mack, R-Palm Springs, said Reid — a longtime proponent of a Southern California-to-Las Vegas rail line — stands to gain from the provision at her district’s expense. With a fast train in place to take people from Los Angeles to the Vegas Strip, the Inland area would likely lose out on tourist revenue, particularly at the region’s Indian casinos, she said.
The Republicans made a huge huff about “pork” this last election cycle. Isn’t being against a proposal that could help the rest of your state (and country) just in order to protect a few casinos in your area basically pork in reverse? No mention at all is made of the California High-Speed Rail Project, which, in addition to benefiting from that $8 billion allocation, would be a boon to Southern California. The article makes it seem as if all of that money is going straight to the LA-Vegas Maglev.
Joe Vranich is still alive? (Who would have figured?) February 23, 2009
Posted by patlynch in Amtrak, Passenger Rail Politics, Passenger Rail Transportatio Policy, Regional USA Passenger Rail, United States High Speed Rail.1 comment so far
The Arkansas Times blog directed me to this somewhat partisan article. Frankly, I can’t quite fiugre out what’s wrong with the New York Times. The Obama administration scored an important political breakthrough for better transportation by increasing Amtrak money and seeking to improve HSR.
Joe Vranich has been, from time to time, a proponent of good transport policy, but one wonders if he has not assumed the position of permanent curmudgeon. Joe, this is America. It’s all about politics and that means spreading mney around on a regional basis. He (conveniently) forgot to tell the NYT reporter that a national HSR system would cost trillions.
Of course, these days that does not seem to be much of a problem.
He also fails to note the environmental issues and a larger question as to whether HSR is even justified on some routes. (I am speaking in the true European sense of 200 mph. trains and I think Mr. Vranich is too.)
Finally, it’s not airlines versus trains. Each has an appropriate place in the mix. If there were good HSR service, airlines would concentrate on the routes they best handle and we could all live in peace and brotherly love! (Sorry.)
Anyway, here’s the story.
It may be the longest train delay in history: more than 40 years after the first bullet trains zipped through Japan, the United States still lacks true high-speed rail. And despite the record $8 billion investment in high-speed rail added at the last minute to the new economic stimulus package, that may not change any time soon.
Readers’ Comments
Readers shared their thoughts on this article.
if (acm.rc) acm.rc.write();
That money will not be enough to pay for a single bullet train, transportation experts say. And by the time the $8 billion gets divided among the 11 regions across the country that the government has designated as high-speed rail corridors, they say, it is unlikely to do much beyond paying for long-delayed improvements to passenger lines, and making a modest investment in California’s plan for a true bullet train.
In the short term, the money — inserted at the 11th hour by the White House — could put people to work improving tracks, crossings and signal systems.
That could help more trains reach speeds of 90 to 110 miles per hour, which is much faster than they currently go. It is much slower, however, than high-speed trains elsewhere, like the 180 m.p.h. of the newest Japanese bullet train. (The Acela trains on the East Coast are capable of 150 m.p.h., but average around half that.)
Obama rail push February 23, 2009
Posted by patlynch in Amtrak, Passenger Rail Politics, Passenger Rail Transportatio Policy, Regional USA Passenger Rail, United States High Speed Rail.add a comment
Now actually news, but something you need to take in. It is a lengthy Politico piece on the HSR negotiations. Disclaimer: Amtrak seems to consider anything over 100 mph. as HSR. (Hope I got that right.) Anyway, here is the story.
Big hurdles remain. Critics already argue that the money is misplaced in a stimulus bill since it will be hard to spend quickly. Much depends on winning the cooperation of Class 1 freight lines that control many of the rights of way outside the Northeast.
But it is a landmark transportation investment with regional effects in almost every corner of the nation. Just last October, former President George W. Bush signed a bill authorizing up to $1.5 billion for high-speed rail through 2013. Obama’s commitment in the same period will be eight times that.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is given 60 days to come up with a strategic plan for the funds. The combination of large capital upfront — followed by annual appropriations — fits the prototype for the infrastructure bank once considered for, but never included in, the recovery bill.
“High-speed rail is the infrastructure bank,” said Emanuel, and the legislation gives LaHood discretion to assign “priority to projects that support the development of intercity high-speed rail service.”
There is some precedent. At the height of the New Deal, FDR’s Public Works Administration played a role in persuading the Pennsylvania Railroad to complete the electrification of its Washington-New York line and finish Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station. Today, the government could make capital investments that both benefit freight operations and facilitate high-speed passenger service. With the drop in freight traffic, the railroads might be more cooperative, although they are sure to want some liability protection for accidents.
LaHood: Obama wants HSR to be his “signature achievement” February 19, 2009
Posted by Logan Nash in Amtrak.Tags: obama high speed rail, ray lahood
11 comments
In a short update the Washington Post mentions that Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood has sent the White House a memo outlining ways to get high-speed rail rolling in the United States. Presumably that involves smart allocation of that $8 billion in stimulus money. Here’s an interesting quote about the President’s view on high-speed rail that’s certainly in line with the shift in attitude we’ve seen since just a few months ago.
The memo identified several potential high-speed rail corridors in the country and addressed potential means of paying for a system. LaHood said President Obama wants to make high-speed rail a signature achievement of his presidency.
There’s a thought. The Obama High-Speed Rail System. I’d like go on about this topic, but London calls urgently with both business and pleasure. Thoughts on what one man can do in four (or eight) years?
Boardman set to shake things up at Amtrak, dismayed at staff “burnouts” February 19, 2009
Posted by Logan Nash in Amtrak.Tags: boardman
10 comments
I believe in Amtrak. You [probably] believe in Amtrak. Does Amtrak’s management believe in Amtrak? New CEO Joseph Boardman is dismayed at the fact that many of them don’t seem to. The’yre burnt out. Jaded. Not in the mood to capitalize on ridership gains and a new political attitude. It’s one of a number of points highlighted in a recent piece in Trains Magazine. There’s some quality stuff in there: information about desperately needed train cars, quotes from Obama staffers about the railroad. Also some less encouraging facts about the dilapidated state of much of Amtrak’s equipment. Give it a read. With a hat tip to the Seattle Transit Blog, here’s the text.
From Trains Newswire (written by Don Phillips)
Published: Wednesday, February 18, 2009
WASHINGTON – New Amtrak President Joseph Boardman says many Amtrak managers do not know whether to believe that Amtrak actually has a future, and that anyone who cannot make the transition from a survival mode to a growth mode will have to find another job.
Boardman said in an interview that shortly after leaving the top spot at the Federal Railroad Administration last Thanksgiving to take over Amtrak, he discovered that the passenger rail system is in worse shape than he thought, and that some people in Amtrak headquarters in Washington are, in effect, burnout cases. He would not be specific about numbers, saying he has still made no final decisions about how many people will have to leave because they cannot make the transition from survival to growth.
“There are a whole host of people here who don’t know whether to believe,” he said. “People are going to have to get on the train. We will make some judgments very soon.”
Among other things, Boardman found that despite growing passenger traffic, up about 12 percent in 2008, Amtrak’s five-year plan in October contained no plans to order new passenger cars other than seven new high-speed trainsets, cars to lengthen current Acela trainsets, 15 new single-level sleeping cars, and some new baggage-dormitory cars. All other cars would have to be paid for by states that needed them for new corridor service, and perhaps ordered them through Amtrak. That secret plan, which had already become a joke around Amtrak, was thrown out quickly after Boardman arrived, and Amtrak is now making more ambitious plans.
Boardman said Amtrak’s most urgent need is for new electric locomotives, and he put in an immediate request for $1 billion in long-term low-interest government loans. Electric motive power is in such poor shape that Washington-New York-Boston trains are sometimes canceled for lack of power.
Since no firm plans have been made to order cars, up to three years will be necessary to actually obtain new cars. Meanwhile, as many wrecked cars as possible will be refurbished, he said. This leaves Amtrak in horrible shape even as politicians preach about a grand future of “high-speed rail.”
Meanwhile, Amtrak at least initially lost out in President Obama’s multi-billion-dollar stimulus plan, receiving $1.3 billion while commuter rail got $8.4 billion and “high speed rail” got $8 billion. (Amtrak is eligible to compete for the high speed rail funds.) Nonetheless, Boardman has instilled such confidence among members of Congress and congressional staff members that some effort may be made to make up the shortfall in future legislation. It is too early for any specific plans, especially since Boardman himself is still developing plans.
Interviews with various Capitol Hill staff members found a lot of confidence in Amtrak’s future under Boardman, perhaps too much confidence for Boardman’s own good.
Boardman has been surprisingly successful in blunting threats by unions to get rid of him. Shortly after he was appointed, 12 labor unions made a statement opposing him as an effort by the Amtrak board to block Obama from naming his own Amtrak president. However, Amtrak’s own unions came to Boardman’s defense and blunted the attacks. Much of Boardman’s union support began on a long Thanksgiving day at the crew room at Washington Union Station, as he and his wife bantered with engineers and conductors. Within hours, he had become almost a hero to Amtrak union employees as word spread around the country. Higher union leadership backed off.
Now comes the question: Can he produce? One major union official said he does not believe Boardman has the guts to do what is necessary. In the field, other union officials are waiting for a sign that Boardman means business, and they will not be patient forever.
What about Obama? Well-placed sources said he pushed for the $8 billion last-minute increase in high-speed rail funds, partly because he realized he had short-changed rail in his proposed stimulus legislation after bragging on the campaign trail about his dedication to passenger rail. Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s chief of staff, confirmed the reports, telling the internet newsletter Portico that Obama realized he had not asked for enough for high-speed rail and wanted $10 billion added as a commitment to the future.
One of the chief staff members responsible for a last-minute $8 billion increase in high speed rail funds laid almost all the blame for Amtrak’s current condition on President Bush and his administration. This Democratic staff member, who did not want to be quoted by name, said that Amtrak will now be able to grow without enemies looking over its shoulder. He expressed confidence in Boardman, and noted that more funds for regular Amtrak trains could be made available in future legislation if Boardman gets Amtrak’s house in order. The staff member said that meaningless restrictions enacted under Republicans, including harassment such as limits on the number of dining car staff numbers, were wiped off the books and he is sure that such restrictions will soon be eased by Amtrak.
Meanwhile, Democrats on Amtrak’s board gently but firmly took control. Republican Donna McLean was eased out as chairman, but given the vice chairmanship. Democrat Thomas Carper took over as chairman. Hunter Biden not only remains on the board, but has joined Carper as a force to be reckoned with.
Carper, mayor of Macomb, Ill., and a longtime Obama friend and political supporter, and Biden, son of the new vice president, have at least one tough job ahead. That is to convince Obama and Congress that plain old regular rail is slowly approaching a breakdown unless lots of new locomotives and cars are ordered soon, and unless aging basket-case terminals such as Chicago are fixed soon. That includes replacement of often-useless switch heaters. As Boardman points out, it is no secret that Chicago gets cold and is pelted by heavy snow in the winter. So why does Amtrak seem to be surprised when winter comes?
Acela fares being cut due to lower business ridership February 18, 2009
Posted by Logan Nash in Amtrak, United States High Speed Rail.Tags: acela, acela fares
6 comments
While Amtrak ridership, generally speaking, has continued to look fairly healthy despite the poor economy and lower fuel prices, the same cannot be said of the its Acela high-speed service on the Northeast Corridor. The recession has led to a decrease in business travel, prompting the company to reduce Acela fares in order to bring in more leisure travelers. From Bloomberg:
Amtrak will offer one-way nonrefundable Acela business-class tickets for as low as $99 between New York and Washington, down from $133 or more, and as low as $79 between Boston and New York, from $93 or higher. The prices are available for travel from March 3 through June 26 and tickets must be purchased 14 days in advance.
Acela ridership dropped about 14 percent in January from the same month a year ago, and about 10 percent for the four months ending in January from the same period last year, spokesman Cliff Cole said in a telephone interview from New York.
If anything, this highlights the huge variation in the services Amtrak runs. Standard routes, and in particular those considered long-distance, have continued to see high levels of ridership. One wonders if many travelers aren’t fleeing air carriers and high-speed services like Acela for a cheaper, if longer, journey on a train. It will be interesting to see what the Amtrak numbers look like when people do have money to spend on air fares again, especially if gas stays cheap (doubtful). Hopefully by that point Acela won’t have to be the only fast train competing with air travel for much longer.
Amtrak and profits: Rush Loving Jr. tells it like it is February 16, 2009
Posted by Logan Nash in Amtrak, Passenger Rail Politics.10 comments
For a change of pace from all the stimulus news in recent weeks, let’s kick off this Monday with a very well-argued piece about Amtrak from someone definitely in the know: Rush Loving. He wrote a book about the rail barons of yore called “The Men Who Loved Trains.” Not the sort of nostalgic thing we usually talk about here at TFA, but the man clearly knows his stuff when it comes to modern rail management as well. He discusses the myth of profitable railroads, and mentions David Gunn, probably Amtrak’s best former head. Here’s a sample:
The entire history of Amtrak is replete with examples of CEOs who have tried to get government to commit long-term funding for the company, only to be ignored. Unfortunatel y, all but David Gunn made a fatal mistake: They never told Congress Amtrak couldn’t ever make money.
None the wiser, Congress has always expected a profitable company, and over the decades Amtrak’s chief executives dutifully have talked of putting Amtrak into the black.
In the mid-1990s Tom Downs went so far as to declare that Amtrak was on “a glide path to profitability.” His successor, George Warrington, went along with the dream, pouring so much money into schemes to raise earnings he blew away all the company’s capital. In the end, just to meet the payroll, Warrington was forced to mortgage one of its most visible assets, New York’s Penn Station.
You don’t hear much talk about Amtrak ever being profitable anymore. With stronger awareness about the environment and the economic benefits of greater transportation options, it seems that more politicians are correctly starting to talk about passenger rail in terms of “investments,” like they have have about highways for decades.
Amtrak, HSR win big in final stimulus bill; Obama to thank? February 12, 2009
Posted by Logan Nash in Amtrak, Passenger Rail Politics, United States High Speed Rail.Tags: amtrak stimulus, hsr stimulus
15 comments
The stimulus, which we were mourning only last week, has come out of conference committee mysteriously flush with passenger rail money. The big surprise is that funding for HSR has jumped from John Kerry’s $2 billion in the Senate bill to a whopping $8 billion in the final version. And check out who’s behind it according to the Associated Press:
In late-stage talks, Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., pressed for $8 billion to construct high-speed rail lines, quadrupling the amount in the bill that passed the Senate on Tuesday.
Reid’s office issued a statement noting that a proposed Los Angeles-to-Las Vegas rail might get a big chunk of the money.
There are certainly more important routes to focus on right now than the LA-Las Vegas route, but we won’t get into that right now. Chalk it up to typical politician behavior. The big news is that perhaps President Obama will be doing more than just paying lip service to passenger rail.
Amtrak also gets a significant bump from the Senate’s $850 million to $1.3 billion. This, however, comes at the cost of $300 million of passenger rail grants to states. This is bad news for states like Vermont, which is struggling to maintain the subsidies for its popular Amtrak lines amid the economic crunch.
Unfortunately, although rail and transit are both parts to a more sustainable whole, local non-auto transportation got stuck with the lower levels of funding set aside in the Senate bill. Streetsblog describes it as a slap in the face. It’s a shame, but, as the Transport Politic points out, this is the single biggest federal investment in American passenger rail ever. This hopefully signals a more positive attitude about sustainable transportation in general under this administration. This year’s transportation bill will be the critical test of that.
But for now, all of you who contacted your legislators should give yourself a pat on the back. This looks like a rather surprising victory for passenger rail.
Feds to get tough on host railroads that delay Amtrak trains February 12, 2009
Posted by Logan Nash in Amtrak.1 comment so far
Here’s part of last year’s Amtrak reauthorization that seemed to go largely unnoticed: the Surface Transportation Board now has the power to fine host railroads that delay Amtrak trains. Considering that Amtrak mostly operates on routes owned by other companies outside of the Northeast corridor, this is a big deal. From Bloomberg News:
Freight railroads that cause delays for Amtrak passenger trains using their tracks could be fined under new authority for a U.S. rail oversight board, an official said yesterday at a hearing in Washington.
The Surface Transportation Board, the regulator of some rail rates, is gaining power to ensure Amtrak trains are punctual under a law passed in October. Chairman Charles Nottingham said the law allows it to levy fines to help meet that goal.
Officials want the service, which runs on freight-rail tracks in most parts of the United States, to be on time in 80 percent of trips. Freight-train hindrances and so-called slow orders, where carriers reduce speeds on sections of track, were the main causes of Amtrak delays last year, Amtrak chief operating officer William Crosbie said.
I was hoping to get some more information about how these fines are going to work from the STB’s website, but they don’t have information from yesterday’s conference up yet. If they enforce these regulations, we could see some real improvements in Amtrak’s on-time performance. This would go a long way towards improving its public image. On the other hand, it’s entirely conceivable that they won’t wield this powers at all.
Ohio, Florida plans bolstered by HSR stimulus, perhaps unreasonably so February 11, 2009
Posted by Logan Nash in United States High Speed Rail.6 comments
Even though the $2 billion HSR provision passed as part of the stimulus isn’t a sure thing yet, some state authorities are already getting giddy about getting their project funded. Here’s one about the Ohio HSR plan from MSNBC:
CINCINNATI – County officials have thrown their support behind high-speed rail, in hopes that the stimulus package might help pay for local infrastructure.
Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has proposal to reestablish a passenger rail connection between Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland, and rail proponents said some aspects of the plan would qualify for assistance from the federal government.
And Florida, which can’t seem to stick to any one plan for passenger rail in the state:
Local leaders are already working on bringing a commuter rail to Central Florida.
Now the Sunshine State is competing against 10 other states to bring Floridians a high speed rail.
The best part is it won’t cost you a dime.
Thats because the stimulus money would not require a local match.We were looking for commuter rail. We might end up with high speed rail, said Orange County Commissioner Bill Segal. Its follow the money when the federal government offers money you take it.
Commissioner Segal has been in support of the rail projects.
The commuter rail will be funded by $1.5 million dollars of federal money but now Central Florida is in a good position to grab an even bigger chunk of federal dough through the stimulus package. That money would go to build the high speed rail.
They have to move fast and beat out other states.
“The best part is it won’t cost you a dime”? What? I hate to break it to Florida and Ohio, but $2 billion isn’t a huge amount, and states such as California and the Midwest HSR members have much more concrete plans that are probably going to receive the bulk of the funding. And that’s if this HSR money makes it through conference committee. Still, it’s good that the prospect of stimulus funding is getting people talking. Getting some rapid trains in this country looks like a real possibility in the coming years, but much of it is going to be driven by states. If they don’t get their act together and present solid plans, they’re not going to get any available federal money, and they’ll be left behind.
Obama, now as president, speaks up for high-speed rail February 11, 2009
Posted by Logan Nash in Passenger Rail Politics, United States High Speed Rail.Tags: high speed rail, hsr, obama, obama hsr, obama rail
add a comment
The latest hot gossip in the smart transportation blogs today: Obama’s comments yesterday in Ft. Myers, FL about sprawl, smart growth, and, critically, high-speed rail. Here’s the key quote from Transportation for America, which has the transcript:
It’s imagining new transportation systems. I’d like to see high speed rail where it can be constructed. I would like for us to invest in mass transit because potentially that’s energy efficient. And I think people are a lot more open now to thinking regionally…
The days where we’re just building sprawl forever, those days are over. I think that Republicans, Democrats, everybody… recognizes that’s not a smart way to design communities. So we should be using this money to help spur this sort of innovative thinking when it comes to transportation.
That will make a big difference.
It’s nothing we didn’t hear quite often during the election[1, 2, 3], but it means something more when he’s actually in power. Also, his tying together of intercity rail, transit, and smart growth shows that he’s got someone on his team who has the right idea about 21st century transportation. The comments are reassuring after a lack of administration action making rail a priority in the stimulus, but we’ve still yet to see him take any real action in favor of Amtrak or HSR as president. This year should give him plenty of opportunities, however, and we’ll be keeping a close eye on each one.
Stimulus update: rail comes out alright in the Senate February 11, 2009
Posted by Logan Nash in Passenger Rail Politics.add a comment
Kerry’s $2 billion high-speed rail provision was left intact. And while rail grants to states were down $50 million to $250 million from the House version, money for Amtrak was up $50 million to $850 million. Nothing’s final until the bill goes into conference committee, but it looks like the money for rail is going to be fine. There’s nothing ambitious or “change-ish” about the transportation aspect of the stimulus, but that’s what we’re looking toward this year’s “highway bill” for.
We’ll be sure to keep track of what happens in conference committee. You just never know.
For more info on the stimulus, and to see how transit didn’t do quite as well as intercity rail, check out the Transport Politic’s excellent article.
Amtrak next on the stimulus chopping block? February 6, 2009
Posted by Logan Nash in Amtrak, Passenger Rail Politics.5 comments
The stimulus package isn’t getting any better in the Senate. According to the New York Times (H/T to the Transport Politic), a compromise amendment with the goal of lowering the cost of the stimulus may cut Amtrak’s allocated $850 million.
Unfortunately, it looks like the targets of the cuts are going to be capital investment projects and not the tax cuts tacked on in the Senate. That’s bad news for schools, transit, and especially intercity rail. Thanks to their powerful lobby, highway money isn’t in any trouble.
Although the mention of Amtrak cuts seems to have been removed from the NYTimes article, Progress Illinois quotes it like this:
Anxious over the ballooning size of the proposed economic stimulus package, now at more than $900 billion, lawmakers in both parties are working on a last-minute plan to strip tens of billions of dollars from the bill. [...]
Among the initiatives that could be cut are … $850 million for Amtrak.
Let’s hope this isn’t the case. Contact your senators to remind them that, at some point in the past year, we were promised change. This stimulus bill has involved a lot of sweating for those advocating non-auto transportation. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that things don’t get entirely derailed in the senate.
Highway interests move to strike HSR funding February 4, 2009
Posted by patlynch in Passenger Rail Politics, Passenger Rail Transportatio Policy, Regional USA Passenger Rail, United States High Speed Rail.add a comment
Our international correspondent Logan Nash checks in from the European front informing of a sneaky move by the usual suspects to remove High Speed Rail funding from Senator Kerry’s good bill. The California High Speed Rail blog has complete coverage, as do several other rail advocacy web sites. Get on it!
Transit and intercity rail at odds in Atlanta February 2, 2009
Posted by Logan Nash in Amtrak, United States High Speed Rail.Tags: beltline
8 comments
It’s certainly a no-brainer that transit and intercity rail are great bedfellows. Rail service is made more attractive by good transit at its stops, and vice versa. Unfortunately, fixed-guideway transit and rail both need their own right of ways, which can be hard to come by in developed cities. The desire for one particularly attractive guideway has pitted the City of Atlanta against Amtrak and the state’s DOT. Atlanta wants it for its beltline transit project, and Amtrak says it will need the ROW so that any future high-speed rail can connect to a downtown terminus. Jay Bookman of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
In brief, here’s the issue: The northeast quadrant of the Beltline, known as the Decatur Belt, is a 4.3-mile piece of railroad right of way formerly run by Norfolk Southern. Running through residential areas and along Piedmont Park, it is the most commercially valuable property on the 22-mile Beltline; the city’s plans for financing the project depend heavily on private investment in that area.
But before the property could be freed for other uses, Norfolk Southern had to get an OK from the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to abandon it as a railway.
The DOT, while supportive of the Beltline, believes that preserving the Decatur Belt as a railway is essential to eventually bringing high-speed rail and commuter rail service into a proposed multimodal station in downtown Atlanta, near the Five Points MARTA station. It also believes that the Beltline property could accommodate all three uses — Beltline, high-speed rail and commuter rail.
So earlier this month, without apparent warning to the city, the DOT filed a last-minute objection with the Surface Transportation Board to try to stop abandonment. If it succeeds, and if Amtrak succeeds in condemning the land, it could kill the Beltline project altogether.
Not sure how I feel about this one. If the railway abandonment was for the purpose of building a parking lot or condos or something, I’d say Amtrak should definitely be able to condemn the ROW. Unfortunately, Atlanta desperately needs better transit, almost as much as the southeast region needs HSR and a good HSR hub, for which Atlanta is the obvious choice. Any thoughts?
patlynch
Logan Nash
